The European anti-racist movement EGAM (European Grassroots Antiracist Movement) and the Armenian organization AGBU Europe to visit Turkey to meet Turkish activists call with them and commemorate the Armenian Genocide in Istanbul from 21 to 25 April.

The next day, representatives of the three organizations, AGBU Europe, and EGAM DurDe (Turkey) will travel to Yerevan (Armenia) to commemorate together the Armenian genocide.

For the second time since the genocide of 1915, there 99 years, a European delegation, composed of twenty antiracist and Armenian leaders from fifteen countries will be present in Turkey for the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, which will be held there for the 5th consecutive year on April 24.

This initiative is a response to the invitation of Turkish partners EGAM, DurDe! (“Say Stop to Racism”) and the Association for Human Rights – IHD, who requested the support of the Turkish civil society committed to the recognition of the Armenian genocide from participating in commemorations in Turkey this year . The EGAM invited AGBU Europe to establish a joint delegation.

For four days, the delegation will meet representatives of civil society – intellectuals, Turkish activists, Kurds, Armenians, artists, … – the world of youth with a conference at the University of Sehir, representatives of minorities and participate in commemorations. 25 representatives of the delegation will be in Yerevan to commemorate it all the Armenian genocide.

The constitution of this delegation is an initiative of solidarity with the Turkish activists committed to historical truth, which called for its formation. It is an initiative of Justice against Holocaust denial, which is the continuation of the perpetuation of genocide. It is finally a commitment to democracy, strengthened by the vitality of civil society.

This initiative is supported by many personalities (including Charles Aznavour, Serge Klarsfeld, Bernard Kouchner, Dario Fo, Adam Michnik, Bernard-Henri Lévy, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Ahmet Insel, Olivero Toscani, Jovan Divjak, etc..) And many representatives European civil society, Turkish and Armenian, who signed an appeal in this regard. The call will be published in the coming days in the European press, including Le Monde (France), La Repubblica (Italy), Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Le Soir (Belgium), Kristeligt Dagblad (Denmark), Eesti Päevaleht (Estonia ), To Vima (Greece), Dnevnik (Macedonia) http://www.e-balkan.net (Montenegro), Publico (Portugal), Adevarul (Romania), EMS (Slovakia), La Tribune de Genève (Switzerland) The celebrations will take place … on Taksim Square, 7:15 p.m. April 24. A press conference will take place the day before, on April 23 at 11 am at Cezayir restaurant, Firuzaga Mh, Hayriye No Cd. 16, Beyoğlu.

Press Contact:
EGAM
Elie Small
Communication Officer
0033 6 68 08 61 0
Elie.petit @ yahoo.fr

Founded in 2010, EGAM – European Grassroots Antiracist Movement / The European antiracist movement is a network of key organisms antiracists 30 countries. Our goal is to strengthen the European civil society on issues of the fight against racism, anti-Semitism, racial discrimination and denial.

The call:

Turks, Armenians and Europeans commemorate together and Turkey, the Armenian Genocide!

In 1915, following a plan drawn up in advance and methodical act and a half million Armenians were murdered in the Ottoman Empire, with the ultimate goal the destruction of their civilization. Armenians were victims of genocide then would become a fatal reference for those who follow. Since then, successive Turkish governments have struggled mightily to forget this dark part of the history of their country. Even today, including Turkey, the mere utterance of this historical truth arouses against those who are the authors of fierce opposition, physical threats and even murder. Denial feeds racism and hatred against Armenians and other non-Muslim minorities.

Some want to believe that the recognition of the reality of the Armenian genocide is an attack against all the Turks and against the “Turkishness”, while it is an attack against the denial and an approach to justice and democracy.

For some years now, a part of Turkish civil society organizes with Courage commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. A virtuous circle of truth and justice gradually amplified to gather more and more individuals, united in a moving demonstration of humanity to face the denialist official discourse. Last year, for the first time in almost a century, a foreign delegation, composed of leaders of the Armenian diaspora and European anti-racist leaders, took part in commemorations in Turkey in response to the call for solidarity launched by Turkish civil society.

All together 24 April 2013, we showed that those in Turkey who recognize and commemorate the Armenian Genocide are growing daily. We have shown that part of Turkish society, committed to the values ​​of democracy and human rights, is ready to face his past with lucidity. This year, all together, antiracist activists, leaders of civil society, engaged citizens, intellectuals and artists, Turkey and elsewhere in Europe, but all diverse united by the desire to see the truth finally recognized historical origins, we commemorate, Turkey, April 24, 2014, the Armenian genocide, which is part of this even though we are on the eve of the centenary of his commission.

Our shared approach is a recognition process, solidarity, justice and democracy.

It is a recognition process in that it simultaneously allows the members of the Armenian diaspora and Turkish Armenians, who resisted exile, openly mourn their ancestors, as it allows organizations and individuals Turkish to apologize to descendants of the victims of some of their ancestors.

It is an approach of solidarity among all those who fight for historical truth. The dividing line is not between Turks and Armenians, but between those who are fighting for recognition of the Armenian genocide and those who promote denial. In a word, this is not an issue, but the origins of ideas, common project.

This is an approach to justice. As Elie Wiesel said, “genocide kills twice, the second by the silence,” that is to say that denial is the continuation of genocide, which is the most violent event in which racism can lead. Combat Holocaust denial is an attempt to appease the liveliness of the trauma transmitted in Armenian communities from one generation to another. Is to fight against racism, for a more equal and just society. Is to offer the new generations the opportunity to plan together for the future.

Finally, it is an approach to democracy. Not only because lifting the taboo of genocide is a prerequisite for advancing freedom of expression in Turkey, but also because, as often reminded Jorge Semprun, democracy presupposes a certain vitality of civil society. Strengthen linkages among civil societies, strengthening those who struggle to promote democracy in Turkey as in the rest of Europe.

Thus, on April 24, we will celebrate together and Turkey, the Armenian genocide, or will support those who do, and we call upon all individuals connected with the recognition, solidarity, justice and democracy to join us finally turn the page on a century of denial.

*** Paul Morin, Executive Director of the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement – EGAM (Europe), Cengiz Algan & Levent Sensever, Spokespeople for Durde! (Turkey), Alexis Govciyan, President & Nicolas Tavitian, Director of the Armenian General Benevolent Union – AGBU (Europe), Ayse Öktem, Platform for “Confronting a Century of Denial” (Turkey), Charles Aznavour, Singer (France), Bernard Henri Lévy, Philosopher (France), Abdullah Demirbas, Mayor of Sur district of Diyarbakir (Turkey), Ara Toranian, Co-President of “Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France” (CCAF), Serge Klarsfeld, President of “Sons and Daughters of Jews Deported from France “(France), Murat Timur, President of the Bar Association Van (Turkey), Öztürk Türkdoğan, Head of the Human Rights Association (IHD) (Turkey), Gilbert Dalgalian, linguist, Bernard Kouchner, French Minister form of Foreign Affairs, Founder of Doctors Without Borders and Doctors of the World, Adam Michnik, Historian, journalist, essayist and leader of Solidarnosc form (Poland), Zarakolu, Writer (Turkey), Roni Margulies, Journalist and poet (Turkey) Jovan Divjak, Former Commanding General of Yugoslav Army, Defender of besieged Sarajevo (Bosnia), Ömer Laçiner, Writer (Turkey), Tahar Ben Jelloun, Writer and poet (Morocco), Dario Fo, Writer, Nobel Prize for literature (Italy) Ferhat Kentel, Sociologist (Turkey), Murat Celikkan, Journalist (Turkey), André Glucksmann, Philosopher (France) Korhan Gümüs, Architect (Turkey), Richard Prasquier, Vice-President of Shoah Foundation (France), Prof.. Dr. Sinan Özbek, Profesor (Turkey), Prof.. Dr. Gencay Gürsoy, Profesor (Turkey), Edward Mier-Jedrzejowicz, Chairman, MK z Tyskiewiczow Krolikiewicz Foundation (Poland), Oliviero Toscani, Photographer (Italy), Yann Moix, Writer (France), Prof.. Dr. Ahmet Insel, University (Turkey)

Alma Masic, President of Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) (Bosnia), Armen Artwich, Vice President of Foundation of Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians (Poland), Deyan Kolev, Chairman of “Amalipe” (Bulgaria), Faik Akc, Writer (Turkey), Séta Papazian, President of the “Collectif VAN” (France), Sonia Avakian-Bedrosian, President of AGBU-Sofia (Bulgaria), Marian Mandache, Executive Director of “Romani Criss” (Romania), Raffi Kantian, Chairman of the board, “German-Armenian Society” (Germany), Çagla Oflas, Platform for “Confronting a Century of Denial” (Turkey), Prof.. Dr. Ayse Gözen, Profesor (Turkey), Elina Chilinguirian, Journalist (Belgium), Raba Gjoshi, Executive Director of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) (Kosovo), Prof.. Dr. Ayse Gözen, Professor (Turkey), Patrick Donabedian, Historian and lecturer, University Aix-Marseille (France), Mario Mazic, Director of Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) (Croatia), Ümit Kurt, Writer (Turkey), Elena Gabriielian, Journalist (France), Jovana Vukovic, “Regional Centre for Minorities” (Serbia), Akif Kurtulus, Writer (Turkey), Haik Garabedian, Co-President of AGBU Young Professionals Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Erika Muhi, Director of the Anti -Discrimination Bureau “NEKI” (Hungary), Yves Ternon, Historian (France), Zeynep Tanbay, Choreographer (Turkey), Gazi Giray Gunaydin, Activist (Turkey), Sezai Temelli, Lecturer (Turkey), Simon Grand, international civil servant Celine Gulekdjian, Film director (Belgium), Katalin Barsony, President of the “Foundation Romedia” (Hungary), Nurcan Kaya, Lawyer (Turkey), Inge Drost, President of the “Federation of Armenian Organizations in the Netherlands” (The Netherlands ), Alain Daumas, President of “UFAT” (French Union of Roma Associations) (France) Gueguel Khatchatouryan, President of the Armenian community in Milano (Italy), Adriatik Hasantari, President of “Active Roma” (Albania), Maja Micic , Director of Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) (Serbia), Elio Montanari, Photographer (Turkey), Hrant Kostanian, Associate Research Fellow, Centre for European Policy Studies (Belgium), Marcel Kabanda, President of “Ibuka” (France) , Filiz Montanari, Film Director (Turkey), Harout Palanjian, President of AGBU Holland (The Netherlands), Prof.. Dr. Sinan Özbek, Professor (Turkey), Helena Piralian, Psychoanalyst (France), Miroslav Broz, President of “Konexe” (Czech Republic), Yildiz Onen, Spokeswoman of “Global Peace and Justice Coalition” (Turkey), Valentina Poghosyan, Member of the board of AGBU Europe (United Kingdon), Maria De Franca, Director of “The Rules of the Game” (France), Areg Barseghyan, International civil servant, ADB (Armenia), Metin Algan, Activist of DurDe (Turkey), Balazs Denes, Director of “Open Society Initiative for Europe” (Hungary), Rifat Cem Sey, Writer (Turkey), Witold Klaus, President of SIP (Association for Legal Intervention) (Poland), Jörn Sudhoff, Professor of Social Sciences (Turkey) Dogan Özgüden, Chief Editor, Info-Türk (Belgium), Katarzyna Kubin, Director of the Board of the “Foundation for Social Diversity” (Poland), Zeynep Tozduman, Investigative Writer (Turkey), Tatyos Bebek, Dentist (Turkey) Güven Gürkan Öztan, Lecturer (Turkey), Ergun Günrah, PR (Turkey), Kalle Larson, Director of “Centrum Password rasism” (Sweden), Inci Tugsavul, Responsible editor Info-Türk (Belgium), Renée Le Mignot, Co-President of the “MRAP” (Movement against Racism and for Friendship Between Peoples) (France), Haluk Ünal, Film Director (Turkey), Nick Lowe, Founder of “Hope Not Hate” (United Kingdom), Cindy Leoni, President of “SOS racism “(France), Sonia Aichi, President of” LDIF “(High school’s Independent and Democratic Federation) (France) Aldo Merkoci, President of” Mjaft Movement “(Albania), Ahmed Moawia, President of the” Greek Forum for Migrants “(Greece), Jette Moller, President of” SOS Racisme Mod “(Denmark), Angela Scalzo, General Secretary of” SOS Razzismo “(Italy), Nicolai Radita, President of” National Roma Center “(Moldavia), Boris Raonic, President of “Civil Alliance” (Montenegro), Paula Sawicka, President of “Open Republic” (Poland), Jacques Beres, President of “France-Syria Democracy”, President of “Children Of The Channel” (France), Bruce Clarke, Artist (South Africa), Ina van Looy, Community Center Jewish Lay David Susskind, Belgium, Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa, Director, European Friends of Armenia, Stéphane Mirdkian, President, Armenian Community of Belgium, Mato Hakhverdian, Chairman of the Federation of Armenian Organisations in The Netherlands (FAWN) (the Netherlands), Roni Alasor, Journalist and writer (Norway), Aslangil Sebu, Jurist (Turkey), Atilla Dirim, Interpretor (Turkey), Irena Borisova, Director of “People Against Racism” (Slovakia) Ofer Bronchtein, President of “Peace Forum” (France), Prof.. Chan ES Choenni, Hindustani Indian Diaspora and Migration, Free University (VU) Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Andrei Dragomir, Director of the Moldovan Centre for Human Rights (Moldovia), Loris Toufanian, President of Armenian Youth Movement “Nor Seround” (France ), Lina Gidlung, Director of Anti-Discrimination Office Upsala (Sweden), Janette Gronsfort, President of “Rasmus Network” (Finland), Merle Haruoja, Director of “Estonian Institute for Human Rights” (Estonia), Jean Yériché Gorizian, spokeperson of Armenian Youth Movement “Nor Seround” (France), Pierre Henry, General Director of “France Land of Asylum” and Executive Board Member of the “European Council for Refugees and Exiles,” Hristo Ivanovick, President of “Alliance for Human Rights” ( Macedonia), Krassimir Kanev, Chairman of the “Bulgarian Helsinki Committee” (Bulgaria), Anhelita Kamenska, Director of “Latvian Centre for Human Rights” (Latvia), Oncho Cherchian, AGBU Sofia (Bulgaria), Joël Kotek, historian (Belgium) , Hakob Kazandjian, President, FRA in Cyprus (Cyprus), Jacky Mamou, President of “Emergency Darfur,” President form of “Doctors of the World,” Irina Ghaplanyan, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), Anna Šabatová, Head of ” Czech Helsinki Committee “(Czech Republic), Ahmed Samih, Head of the” Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Anti-Violence Studies “(Egypt), Dominique Sopo, Former President of” SOS Racisme “(France), Rune Steen, Director of the “Norwegian Centre Against Racism” (Norway), Sacha Reingewirtz, President of the “French Union of Jewish Students” (France), Muhammadi Yonous, Head of the “Greek Forum of Refugees” (Greece), League of Human Rights (League of Human Rights) (France), Europeana Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF), International Human Rights League, Nikolai Romashuk Hairston, President of the “Armenian Social and Cultural Foundation in The Netherlands” (The Netherlands), Kate Markaryan (Russia ) Oncho Cherchian AGBU Sofia, Bulgaria, Lisa Abadjian, psychologist (Belgium), Mikaail Domanian, Engineer, AGBU Holland, Souren Seraydarian, analyst (France), Silva Chemedikian, AGBU Sofia (Bulgaria), Harout Mamikonian, AGBU Holland (the Netherlands), Apet George Iskenderian, Ophelia Khachatryan, Kate Markaryan (Russia), Anelga Aslanian (Belgium), Harout Mamikonian (Netherlands)

Political leaders

Frank Engel, Member of the European Parliament (Luxembourg), Michèle Rivasi, Member of the European Parliament (France), Sevil Turan, Greens and Left Party Spokeswoman of the Future (Turkey), Ewald Stadler, Member of European Parliament (Austria) , Meltem Oral, Spokeswoman of The Revolutionist Socialist Labour Party (DSIP) (Turkey), Ufuk Uras, 23rd MP term (Turkey), Klemen Zumer, Advisor, European Parliament (Belgium), Senol Karakas, Spokesman of DSIP (Turkey), Andrej Hunko, Member of the Bundestag (Parliament) (Germany), Naci Sönmez, Greens and Left Party Spokesman of the Future (Turkey), Laura Lucas Nédelec Chatel & Co-Secretary General “Young Ecologists” (France), Laura Slimani, President of Movement of Young Socialists (France), Kees van der Staaij, Member of Parliament, Member of Reformed Political Party Faction (SGP) (the Netherlands), Harry van Bommel, Member of Parliament, Member of the Socialist Party (SP) (the Netherlands) Joel Voordewind, Member of Parliament, Member of the Christian Union Faction (the Netherlands), Paolo Bergamaschi, Advisor on Foreign Affairs, Green / EFA group in the European Parliament.

Source:

Saturday, April 19, 2014,

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